


The Camelot Guardian

by culie_kit



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Camelot, Dragons, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, camelot AU, late night idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:06:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25681759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/culie_kit/pseuds/culie_kit
Summary: In Camelot, King Gabriel Agreste rules his now magicless kingdom as his son, Crown Prince Adrien, continues to run across the countryside in looks for a damsel in distress. But now there is a new Guardian who is stronger, and Gabriel will do anything to keep his kingdom magicless. No matter the cost.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Kudos: 19





	The Camelot Guardian

Camelot, once bustling with dragons and magic, was now a dull kingdom. It’s grey clouds matched the dreariness of everyday life for peasants and nobles alike. King Gabriel Agreste ruled his kingdom with tight claws- nothing happened in his lands without him knowing of it. And he trained his first born son, Crown Prince Adrien Agreste to be as diligent and stern, but the boy was soft. King Gabriel often wished his nephew was his own son- the boy was stern, malicious and cunning. Nothing like his own Adrien, who often ran off to make sure the people of the kingdom were well. It was disgusting.  
Of course, Gabriel had his own secrets. The clatter in the deepest part of his dungeon was unheard by the frivolous castle life. Gabriel had found himself a dragon. And Gabriel wanted the dragon's powers. And Gabriel always got what he wanted- no matter the cost.

...

Thunder growled in the distance, it’s darkness looming closer and closer, but Marinette didn’t feel worried. She was curled up in the cozy wool covers, the light breeze rushing past through the crack in the slightly open window. It had been a long time since Marinette had felt so secure and relaxed. Even Tikki was curled up by the fire like a fat cat in a winter storm. Mari cozied into herself, before focusing back on her book: The Ancient History of Magicks. It was a gift from Adrien. She was fascinated by it.  
The door creaked open and she smiled at him,  
“Adrien, you’re back.”  
Adrien wasn’t a constant in her adventures, as much as she wished he was. He was the main character in his own life and when the stars aligned and Lady Luck seemed temporarily pleased with the pair of friends, the two could bump into each other while on their own travels.  
“It’s going to rain soon. Is Kagami home?”  
“If she’s not training in that run down barn out back, she’s probably asleep.”  
“She sleeps?” Adrien teased as he slipped away again, leaving the door slightly ajar. As if he would make too much noise closing it altogether. Another crack of thunder shuddered the abandoned home as if the storm were trying to remind her that it was coming with new vigor. But, if Tikki didn’t move- neither did she.  
Adrien was back pretty quickly, “She’s asleep.” He looked a bit rattled.  
“And Longg?”  
“Asleep… in a bowl.”  
This wasn’t surprising to Marinette, she too wanted to sleep, but when else would she be able to curl up and read during a light *thunder shook the building* rainstorm? Adrien walked in slowly, “Is that the book I got you?”  
“Yes.” She pulled herself up gently, “Are you going to let me read it?” She teased. He shuffled backwards,  
“Sorry, I don’t want to-,”  
“It’s fine. Do you want to sit in here with us?” Marinette asked, she noticed the way his eyes lingered by the window after the thunder screamed its grievances. She wouldn’t believe that Adrien- Crown Prince Adrien Agreste who doubled as a masked knight would be afraid of thunderstorms, but every hero had a weakness.  
He seemed relieved at her invitation, “I just want to relax by the fire.”  
Thunder cackled at Adrien’s attempt to play off his fear causing him to jump, his face red with embarrassment as he searched for another excuse, but Marinette was not like the courtiers and nobles he was so used to dealing with, she didn’t laugh, instead she moved over on the bed to make room, “We can read together, if you like?”  
He didn’t object and buried himself under the covers, “I’d be laughed out into the storm acting like this back home.” He mumbled.  
“You’re not home.” She reminded him. She adjusted herself to bring the book in the middle of them, “You… you don’t have to go back.”  
He didn’t answer her at first, his arm touching hers, he was trying to focus on the chapter she was on, “Chapter ten?” He realized, “I gave this to you this morning.”  
“I mean it.” Marinette said more firmly, “You could stay as Chat Noir. You’re happier fighting injustices than you are wearing that heavy crown.”  
He looked away from her, she knew his answer. She knew his answer before she even asked, but when they were together her heart raced. And she lived for the small days they spent together on merged adventures. He was not a prince to her. Just like she was not a villain to him.  
“I-” He bit his bottom lip the way he always did when he thought over something with no clear answer, “If I give up my crown, Felix gets it.” He said slowly, “And I don’t hate Camelot enough to hand them over to Felix.”  
She understood. In fact, the only reason Felix still stood behind his guarded walls was because Adrien had asked Kagami to let justice and law bring deliverance.  
“Kagami and I leave tomorrow- towards The Temple.”  
“The temple? Why?”  
“My teacher has been gone for months. I was holding on to the box, but-,” she didn’t want to say it. She knew Master Fu, her teacher, friend and one of the only people who believed her story was gone.  
“Marinette-,” Adrien held her hand. She regained her composure.  
“I have more to learn before I can bring balance to Camelot. Master Fu said I would bring balance with a partner, and Kagami is my best friend and I wouldn’t trade her for the world-,”  
“But she is not your other half?” Adrien hadn’t let go of her hand.  
Marinette didn't want to confess that Master Fu had lost several of the dragon pendants, one of which was her other half- or Tikki's other half at least. Master Fu always thought he would come back when the time was right, but she didn't blame the dragon for never coming back. The rain now started to tap the windows,  
“If I do not have the other half Master Fu spoke of, I just have to be strong enough for two people.”  
“That seems… like alot.” Adrien glanced toward the window, “Did you have that open for a reason?”  
“The breeze.” Marinette went to put her book down, she may not be getting any reading today after all, but as she walked across the room to close the window she felt herself smiling anyway. She didn’t get to spend her night with a book, but instead with her dear friend who would leave her by tomorrow. She got back into bed, and he pushed the bok back towards her,  
“We were reading together.” He reminded her, as if not reading would mean he was sharing her bed under false pretenses. She playfully rolled her eyes,  
“I’ll read aloud, you joke too much when you read.”  
“Of course, Milady.”

She read until the storm clouds darkened the skies and the thunder was so close she had to talk over it. She closed the book gently, placing in under her pillow. Adrien had sunk deep into the old mattress, his face covered by the blankets. She joined him underneath,  
“Will you be able to sleep?”  
“I’ll be fine.” He mumbled. She wrapped her arms around him,  
“Well, I am going to sleep and I expect you to protect me if you won’t sleep too.” She closed her eyes, knowing that once her arms were wrapped around her Chat Noir he would relax. He may not sleep as quickly as she would, but at least he would be less afraid.

In the morning, Adrien wasn’t in bed, she hoped he hadn’t left without saying goodbye, if he did it would be grounds for his execution. She folded her blanket and draped it over the wooden frame, Tikki stretched,  
“Are we leaving already?” She purred.  
“It’s a long journey.” Marinette reminded her. Tikki never seemed to stay sour for long, for a dragon she was very sweet.

Dragons were not like they taught in the villages and castles, these great beasts who burn down countrysides and curse poor mortals with great burdens. When Marinette had found Tikki she looked like a lost lizard. And Marinette could never stand to see anything in pain, she rescued the poor thing from the brutal summer day and decided to have a pet. Of course, Tikki grew, but not by much. She was just the size of a small dog or a fat cat and the growth spurt hadn’t alarmed Marinette much until Tikki began to speak.  
Dragons can be caught, tamed, abused and trained to give a mortal such great powers- but this kind of life comes at a great cost that no mortal can truly pay without his soul. A dragon finds her partner- not master- and together they can grow beautiful magicks together. Marinette knew, once Tikki had told her all of this, that magic was illegal in Camelot, and she would never have done anything but be a friend to Tikki, but the world works in awful ways to make a person get on the right path.

“Marinette, are you awake?” Kagami asked, “Adrien made these awful eggs.”  
Marinette smiled, of course her Chat Noir wouldn’t have run off without saying goodbye. She started forcing her hair into a loose braid as she walked into the kitchen, the floor was wet from the rain spilling in through the cracks in the ceiling.  
“They are not awful.” He defended, chewing, quite aggressively, through his small spoonful, “Just a bit rubbery.”  
“Princes shouldn’t cook.” Kagami fed her eggs to Longg, who looked offended, but as usual ate every last bite.  
“It can’t be that terrible.” Marinette said, knowing very well it was that terrible. She sat down at the rickety table and sawed through the egg, “Well, eggs shouldn’t be this… how did you get the egg to do this?” She asked finally getting a piece on her fork. He groaned,  
“I swear I did everything you did last time.”  
Kagami laughed, “You can’t try to mimic Mari’s cooking. You’ll just make rubbish. Mari can make rocks edible.”  
“I cannot.” Marinette said after wondering how much salt it would take after boiling a rock to make it edible. It just wouldn’t work. She put her fork down as she… savored?... the unique taste in her mouth. Adrien looked so defeated. Kagami pulled bread from their rations and passed pieces around,  
“Prince Charming isn’t perfect after all.”  
“Are you hanging out with other princes? I’m not Charming- I’m Adrien.” He smiled thankful for the bread.  
“God, your jokes are awful.” Kagami said with a relaxed smile, she faced Marinette, “The storm is travelling south. It’ll cover our trail for about a day.”  
“I can keep everyone busy.” Adrien offered his help, “I know it’s small, but there’s a ball happening and everyone kind of, temporarily, stopped thinking about magic and dragons and the “war on mortals”.”  
“Who’s idea was it to throw a ball while Felix and his band on dimwits are trying to kill us?” Kagami asked. Adrien smiled with a smug shrug,  
“I may have said that a ball would liven everyone’s spirits. And what the Crown Prince wants, he shall receive.”  
“Aren’t we lucky?” Marinette smiled, but she found herself wondering who he would go with.  
“When is it?” Kagami asked.  
“Next month, it’s a Full Moon ball, so that we may dance under natural light.” He said in a fake dreamy voice, “Also,” he added, “It’s a masque ball. So everyone will be in costumes.”  
“Sounds fun.”  
“You’re invited.” Adrien was serious now, “No one would ever think that you’d be there, and everyone will be wearing masks, it’s why I made it a masque ball, so that you two could come.”  
“With our dragons?” Marinette asked, as she fed Longg her burned eggs. Tikki had gotten half of her bread instead.  
“Well… no-,” he looked apologetically at the dragons, “But, when balance is brought to Camelot, I will have an entire ball dedicated to you two.”  
Longg shrugged, “Seems fair.”  
Marinette stood gently, “We’ll be at the Temple by then.”  
He nodded, “I know.”  
“We have to get going, we’ve already given up too much of our day.” She didn’t move. Kagami stood up with a stretch,  
“I think i left something in the barn last night. Longg, Tikki come help me grab it will you?”  
Marinette would thank Kagami once Adrien had left. The dragons followed Kagami outside, leaving the friends alone.  
“I wish you hadn’t invited me.” Marinette said softly.  
“I… actually am refusing to go with anyone else.”  
“Is this a trap?” She didn’t mean it to sound serious, but her heart always betrayed her mouth.  
“A trap?”  
“We go and we’re captured on site without the protection of our dragons-,”  
“I would never.” He wasn’t offended, he knew Marinette’s past, he reassured her, “I will do everything in my power to keep you and Kagami, and the dragons, safe. I… if I wasn’t a prince I’d run away with you.” He thought about that for a moment. Letting the words linger in the air between them. Marinette felt herself wanting to step back, to step away,  
“Adrien-,”  
“You do not have to come.” He said, “The invitation to you is open, and if you come or not, I won’t take anyone. Which isn’t meant to guilt you in any way, I just want you to know… Well, I barely know-,”  
“You are the prince of Camelot.” Marinette interrupted Adrien before he managed to spill what she realized she wanted him to say, “I am an Enchantress. If people knew you invited me, if we were caught dancing- your crown can’t protect you from everything.”  
He reached out to her, but she moved her hands away, she’d change her mind if his skin brushed hers,  
“I will always protect you and fight alongside you as Chat Noir and Ladybug, but this-,”  
“Tell me you don’t feel the same and I’ll never bring this up again.” He said, she saw his fingers trembling. Her mind and heart arguing over which would win, tears burned her eyes, she turned away,   
“This is very dramatic when I’ll see you after the Temple. This is a terrible goodbye.”  
He was behind her, his hand gently grabbing her arm, “I didn’t mean-,”  
She took a deep breath, willing away her childish tears. She was the Guardian Enchantress now, she didn’t have time for masque balls and love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Her heart raced with the thought of that word, the realization of that stupid, stupid, stupid word.  
“My first goal is balance.” She turned to face him, his green eyes were wells of worry, she pressed on, “I have nothing else to offer right now.”  
“But you like me.” He said, his hand running down her arm, holding her hands in his, “You like me.”  
“I did not say that.”  
“You didn’t have to. I will wait, milady. You may spend decades, CENTURIES-,”  
“You’re overdramatic-,” she said through her blush, but he continued,  
“A millennia I will wait for you, Marinette. You are my Ladybug and I will spend every day fighting for magic’s return to Camelot.” He kissed her hands, “I ask nothing in return, Milady.”  
The door shut rather loudly as Kagami let them know she had returned. Marinette pulled her hands away from Adrien gently,  
“If I- we could write from the Temple we would.”  
“I wouldn’t.” Kagami said as Tikki pranced to Marinette’s feet.  
“But you would think of me.” Adrien teased her. Kagami waved him off,  
“Don’t you have a castle to run? Us outlaws have places to be, Sir Adrien.”  
“Prince Adrien.” He pretended to be offended as he grabbed his things, “But my invitation still stands.”  
“Yeah, yeah- we know.” Kagami grabbed her own pack and handed Marinette hers, “We’ll see you when we see you.”  
“Until then, my heart shatters with every missed moment-,” he shouted as he walked down the southward path, “My soul is lifted from my body-,”  
“If you weren’t a skilled swordsman I’d have someone kill you!” Kagami shouted back. He cackled into the afterrain air and with one last glance at Marinette he headed back home.

“If he wasn’t a prince, he’d be dead.” Kagami said as the pair trekked northward.  
“If he wasn’t a prince, he’d be travelling with us.”  
“Right. And I’d kill him. Those eggs were awful.”  
Marineete chuckled, her mind still running over his confession like a rushing river over rocks.  
“Did he finally do it then?” Kagami asked.  
“Hm?” Marinette looked up.  
“Finally tell you that he loves you and we’re still going to The Temple?”  
“Nothing gets past you.”  
“But we’re still headed towards the Temple?”  
“We have to train, I have to train. I’m the guardian of all magic now-,”  
“Which was unfair of Master Fu to do-,”  
“Right, but it’s done. And I need to know my place in this world now that I’m not-,”  
“A lady of the court?”  
“Right.” Marinette sighed.

Marnette had never been much of a noble, her father was a baker who married the only daughter of the Dupain-Cheng family. So, although her mother had chosen to marry down, her family had helped her father become some type of sir. Marinette almost wished that they hadn’t. She was raised by her commoner father and kind mother to see past titles, and in a court of titles and money, compassion never got anyone very far.  
She had very little friends, besides Sir Nino, Adrien’s best friend and most loyal knight and when Kagami had joined from a kingdom far away, the two had clicked quickly. She missed her parents, if she missed anything at all. But when Felix tried to execute a woman for healing magic, Marinette couldn’t stand by anymore-

“You hungry?” Kagami asked.  
“I wouldn’t mind a snack.” Marinette looked towards the sky, she had been lost in her mind for sometime. Kagami liked to travel in silence, and Marinette used that time to get lost in memories she had no need getting lost in.  
They sat down for lunch before moving on again.

…

Adrien didn’t have a far walk, it was only about a days travel. And sure, Marinette didn’t say she loved him or liked him- but she didn’t say she didn’t. He had been smiling and whistling the entire day, just thinking of a future where he could finally be happy when someone called out for help from the shadows of the surrounding woods, he followed it quickly to a pond. In it was a flapping black lizard, Adrien quickly pulled the dragon out soaking himself as he fell on his back, letting the dragon shake off. Once the commotion was quieter the dragon glanced over at Adrien,  
“Hey, you go any cheese happy guy?”  
Adrien patted his clothes and found the piece he meant to give to Longg (he tended to forget things around Marinette), “I do.” He held out the cheese towards the dragon,  
“You’re a dragon. I thought there were only two?”  
“Only two?” The black dragon was smaller than Tikki and Longg, but his flying abilities reminded Adrien more of a floating, “Please, theres like 20 of us or something. Most of us are tied to a box, but I’m no loser, right? So I break free and I’m living the high life-,”  
“Great-,”  
“And then! I get this BURST of energy. I mean, I’ve never felt so powerful, and I tell myself- “Plagg, if we’re getting committed we need to know if he’s the one” and so I know the only way I’d ever tie myself down is if the mortal had cheese-,”  
“Wait.. what? Me?”  
“And now we are tied, what’s your name? Meh, we’re tied because there is magic in those bones and I want to have some FUN.”  
“Uh… Adrien, Prince Adrien. Of Camelot? I can’t have a dragon following back home-,”  
“Why not? It’s kind of bromantic, a young prince scoops a magical being from the lake and by this new forged relationship he gains great magic- ”  
“My father’s… he’s got a rule against them.” Adrien was trying to explain over Plagg’s dramatic retelling.  
Plagg didn’t move at this interruption, in fact he just stared. Adrien groaned,  
“About a day’s ride that way” He pointed towards north, “Two Enchantress with dragons-,”  
“Yeah the Guardian and her knight- no thanks. I’m looking for a good time, not a safe time. Look, I won’t rat you out to your friends and family and I get to live the castle life-,”  
But Adrien’s mind was somewhere else now, “Do you mean it? I have magic?”  
Plagg was serious now, “Yes. I wouldn’t have felt drawn to you otherwise. I haven’t felt magic that strong since the Guardian Enchantress was chosen. And it would be a disgrace to let that power get thrown to waste.”  
So Adrien agreed to keep the dragon in secret, Plagg was such a small thing he would be easy to hide. He would learn to use magic like Marinette and Kagami- if he was magic maybe it would be easier to bring balance to Camelot. No one in Camelot hated Adrien (besides Felix, but he didn’t matter).  
The castle walls loomed over them as Adrien neared the gate, “So,” he finally asked, “Will I be able to heal and fix everything like, Marinette?”  
“Heal?” Plagg asked, now hidden in Adrien’s inner jacket pocket, “Why do you think they made Tikki in the first place. Kid, we’ve got the power of destruction. I’m Tikki’s other half.”  
“Prince Adrien!” the guards shouted as the gate lowered to let him as Chloe and Sabrina rushed from the courtyard to greet him. He smiled and waved as he felt his smiler grow bigger and bigger,  
“Her other half.”  
He was going fix Camelot and when he was done- he’d be Marinette’s other half.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is or might be, but I hope you liked my late night idea. <3


End file.
